Chuck Plaisance is recognized as a pioneer of 3D spatial sound recording and production. In the early 1990s, he founded Sonic Holographics / 3D Sound Inc. in Hollywood, California -- a company dedicated to developing immersive 3D audio technologies that capture sound as the human ear naturally perceives it, creating a holographic listening experience that places the listener inside the music.

How It All Began

In 1987, Chris Currell of the Michael Jackson "Bad" Band hired Chuck to manage his Synclavier Studio and handle International Tour support for the three Synclaviers used on the "Bad" Tour. This experience taught Chuck sound sampling, editing, programming, and deep knowledge of the Synclavier Sound Library. He was then invited to be one of the sound editors to create the ProSonus first-ever Sound Sample Library -- and a new path was born.

The World's First 3D Virtual Instrument (1993)

Chuck created the world's first 3D Virtual Instrument for Stereo Samplers: "The Piano" -- a Boesendorfer 9ft Grand Piano sampled from Player's Position, Singer's Position, and Big Band Position in soft, medium, and hard velocities with sustain. By combining layered recordings, he recreated the actual Grand Piano in three-dimensional space. Compatible with Akai S-1000/S6000, EMU, Korg, Kurzweil K-2000, SampleCell, Ensoniq, and Roland samplers.

Notable 3D Sound Productions

Chuck's spatial sound work spans an extraordinary range of projects:

• "Sacred Earth" -- Gaden Shartse Monks of Tibet: The Monks specifically requested Chuck to record and produce their second album as a gift to the Dalai Lama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Healing chants recorded in 3D spatial sound.

• Hollywood Bowl Orchestra -- "Gershwins in Hollywood": Three-dimensionally recorded the orchestra's first record live at Columbia Sound Stage from the conductor's perspective.
• Planet Earth IMAX Feature: Spatial Sound Recordist for the Hollywood Bowl Choir.
• Ernestine Anderson: Spatial Sound Consultant on two Grammy-nominated albums -- "Now and Then" and "Blues, Dues and Love News" (Quincy Jones, Executive Producer).
• Bob Clearmountain -- "Drums II": Spatial Sound Consultant on what became the #1 selling Drum CD and CD-ROM to date.
• Gary Wright -- "The Dream Weaver" Virtual Instrument: Co-Producer and Spatial Sound Recordist, recreating Gary Wright's famous Fender Rhodes Piano and DreamWeaver Analog Synths.
• Disney "Earthquake Simulation": Producer, Designer, Recordist, and Actor for Disney Towers, Burbank.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 3D Head Mic recording session with Craig Garfinkle -- string ensemble recording with detailed session notes on file.
• Toyota Motor Corporation: Audio Consultant and 3D Sound Engineer to the President of Toyota Motors USA.

3D Nature Sound Libraries

Chuck has produced over 65 CDs of 3D nature recordings across multiple series:

• "Sounds of Nature" Series -- 21 CDs: Ocean Waves, Southern Swamp, Rainstorm, Desert Oasis, Forest Morning, Mountain Ranch, Thunderstorm, Song of the Whales, Rainforest, and more.
• "Tranquility" Series -- 21 CDs combining 3D nature sounds with music: Zen Garden, Bayou Plaisance, Sacred Forest, Thunder over Shasta, Cosmic Night, and more.
• "Extreme Nature" -- 6 CDs (Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Wind, Rain, Volcanoes)
• "National Park Adventures" -- 13 CDs
• "Serenity" -- 6 CDs
• "Quiet Time" -- 3 CDs for children's relaxation

Recording locations include Newport Beach California, Big Island of Hawaii, Rio de Janeiro Brasil, Angeles Crest Forest, Silver Banks (humpback whale recordings), Nürburgring Motor Speedway, and countless locations across the US, Hawaii, and Brasil.

Technology & Philosophy

Chuck's recordings utilize the Aachen Head binaural recording system, custom 3D surround systems, and sacred geometry-based studio design. His guiding objective: "Music and sound for a better life quality. To educate the public to what sound quality really is, based on the theories of how the human ear works."